Royal Navy ships exercise in local waters
A ROYAL Navy submarine hunter and an offshore patrol vessel have been in island waters a training exercise – the latter also helping Jersey Coastguard with a rescue.
HMS Mersey and HMS Westminster departed from Portsmouth and Clyde Royal Navy bases respectively.
Both were in Bailiwick waters around Guernsey and Sark, as well as those off Jersey, in the last two days.
A Royal Navy spokesman said they were making use of the challenging environment the islands provide.
HMS Westminster is a Type 23 Frigate.
The ship is fitted with Sea Wolf and Harpoon missiles, Sting Ray torpedoes, a 4.5in. gun and smaller guns, including general purpose machine guns.
anti-submarine one 32-cell Sea Wolf GWS.26 VLS canisters for 32 Sea Wolf missiles (range 1–10 km), anti-ship missiles, including two quad Harpoon launchers, Anti-submarine torpedoes, including two twin 12.75 in (324 mm) Sting Ray torpedo tubes, One BAE 4.5 inch Mk 8 naval gun, two 30 mm DS30M Mk2 guns, or, two × 30 mm DS30B guns Miniguns and four general-purpose machine guns.
HMS Mersey, a River class patrol vessel, which is 79.5m. long, capable of staying at sea for 21 days, had been conducting the Fleet Navigating Officers sea assessment week in the waters around Guernsey and Jersey.
As part of the course, students were asked to pilot the challenging waters around the coast to demonstrate their ability to navigate a warship by day and night without GPS.
HMS Mersey had five students on board from the submarine service and surface fleet. They conducted training with Lieutenant Dominic Garner.
She assisted Jersey Coastguard on two occasions while operating in the area.
‘Safety of life at sea is our greatest peacetime responsibility, and when we received notification of potential distress, it is amazing to see how quickly Mersey and her crew are able to respond.
‘I take great pride in our ability provide assistance to Mariners in distress, and it was one of the reasons I joined the Navy,’ said navigating officer Lieutenant Greg Padden.
Earlier this year Westminster escorted two Russian ships through the English Channel.
n HMS Daring, the destroyer affiliated to the island, was shown as being stationary about eight miles off the north-east coast during Wednesday, according to Digimap AIS.
